A friend works for an rather successful Italian startup.<p>As a developer, he'll be sent to a good conference this year. They'll pay him hotel and flight ticket. So far so good. But... They force him to take that day off, (holiday!)<p>I wonder how is it with USA/UK startups? If you're paid to go to a conference, will you have to get holiday for that day? What will you do if that happens to you ?
I'd say take it. It is a nice thing to go to a nice conference if it's not an usual thing. In any case the fact that this is happening from an italian startup doesn't surprise me. As an italian I have seen worse things.
There's a total cost to the company of sending your friend to the conference. It consists of the conference, flight & hotel costs and your salary costs for that amount of days.
This is simply the company offering to pay your friend for the former but not the latter. It's of course nicer to have everything paid, but it's also a better offer than having to pay for the conference and take days off.
As you will be expected to pay for part of this (through taking days off) this is an offer however and he/she can't/shouldn't be forced to accept it.
P.S. Keep in mind that this structure is the most tax-efficient way to sponser said trip to the conference in most European countries.
